JF Ptak Science Books Post 2122
I imagine that tree wagons had been around for quite some time by the time this Daguerreotype was made ca. 1860–the very unusual aspect of this is that it must be a very very early photograph of the process. And, actually, it is probably rare among images in general to see the transportation of a mature tree–frankly I think it is a very mature tree in spite of its height (is this the slow-growing American Hemlock?), mainly because the trunk seems to be as thick as the observer at right. The tree and roots look to be suspended in a wooden container, and the wheels look thick and tall (at least 5′ and probably more)–it no doubt was a very heavy load, and it would be interesting to know what was going to pull it along that open field.
Image: http://www.retronaut.com/2013/04/moving-a-tree-on-a-wagon/
The tree wagon was animal-powered–the rolling thunder land car was powered by steam.
